Rider–Waite, Marseille and Thoth: What Is Different?
Rider–Waite–Smith, Tarot de Marseille and the Crowley–Harris Thoth Tarot share the familiar 78-card structure, but they are not three interchangeable sets of illustrations. Each tradition has a distinct historical background, arrangement of visual motifs, vocabulary of card names and method of interpreting the numbered suits. Knowing these differences prevents the common mistake of describing symbols that are not present on the chosen card.
The Marseille family preserves an earlier European pip-card language. Rider–Waite–Smith makes the numbered cards into scenes that can be read visually as narratives. Thoth develops the Golden Dawn’s Hermetic attributions through the esoteric program of Aleister Crowley and the painting of Frieda Harris. None is the universally ‘original’ source of all tarot symbolism: Marseille is a historically important deck family, not the fifteenth-century invention of tarot itself.
Side-by-Side Comparison of the Three Tarot Systems
| Feature | Tarot de Marseille | Rider–Waite–Smith | Thoth Tarot |
|---|---|---|---|
| History | Historical French/Swiss family, developed from earlier Italian tarot | Designed by Pamela Colman Smith and A. E. Waite, published 1909 | Painted by Frieda Harris with Crowley, 1938–1943; book published 1944 |
| Deck size | 78 standard cards | 78 cards | 78 cards |
| Numbered minors | Mostly emblem-based pips | Fully illustrated scenes | Symbolic arrangements with titles and decans |
| Coins suit | Deniers / Coins | Pentacles | Disks |
| Courts | Valet, Cavalier, Reine, Roi | Page, Knight, Queen, King | Knight, Queen, Prince, Princess |
| Justice / Strength | Justice VIII, Force XI in common Marseille order | Strength VIII, Justice XI | Adjustment VIII, Lust XI |
| Special trump titles | Le Mat; Arcane XIII often untitled | The Fool; Death; Temperance; Judgment; The World | The Fool; Death; Art; The Aeon; The Universe |
Tarot de Marseille: Pip Cards and Historical Iconography
The Tarot de Marseille is a group of related tarot designs associated especially with early modern France and neighboring regions. Its 22 trumps are populated by recognizable figures such as Le Bateleur, La Papesse and L’Empereur. Its numbered suits typically repeat swords, batons, cups and coins in patterned arrangements rather than scenes of people acting out card meanings.
How Marseille Pip Reading Works
A Marseille reader can consider number, suit, the arrangement and orientation of emblems, decorative foliage and the neighboring cards. Five of Coins may be read in relation to material concerns and the pattern formed by five coins, without importing the Rider–Waite picture of two figures passing a stained-glass window. Attention to symmetry, direction and relative placement is often useful.
Marseille Court Cards and Naming
The Marseille courts are Valet, Cavalier, Reine and Roi. They can be read through posture, gaze, clothing and the suit emblem held. Le Mat is generally unnumbered, and the thirteenth trump often appears without a printed Death title. Editions vary in typography and coloring; the label Marseille should not be assumed to designate one perfectly uniform original artwork.
Rider–Waite–Smith: Illustrated Everyday Scenes
The Rider–Waite–Smith Tarot was illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith under Arthur Edward Waite’s direction and first appeared in 1909. Its remarkable practical innovation was the widespread use of narrative scenes on all numbered suits. A Three of Pentacles depicts people working around a craft or building setting; a Five of Cups features a figure near spilled cups; a Six of Swords shows a journey by water.
Reading the Image as a Story
A beginner can identify a central figure, an action, a tension and a setting before looking at a guidebook. This makes scene-reading accessible: the meaning of Two of Swords can be discussed through the person’s crossed blades and restricted view. The pictures still reflect Waite’s occult program and Smith’s artistic decisions; they are not simply objective descriptions of future events.
Strength VIII and Justice XI
In Rider–Waite–Smith, Strength occupies VIII and Justice XI. The major-card order therefore differs from the common Marseille sequence. Compare cards by both title and system rather than treating the same Roman numeral as automatically naming the same figure across decks.
Thoth Tarot: Crowley, Frieda Harris and Hermetic Correspondences
The Thoth Tarot was conceived by Crowley and painted by Frieda Harris during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Crowley’s Book of Thoth appeared in 1944. Harris’s compositions emphasize color, geometry, planetary decans, the Tree of Life and layered mythological references. The result is a visual and interpretive system particularly suited to students interested in Hermetic occultism.
The Names of the Numbered Thoth Cards
Numbered cards from Two through Ten have titles, such as Two of Cups — Love, Six of Swords — Science, Five of Swords — Defeat and Ten of Disks — Wealth. These titles give a deliberately specific occult reading of the number and suit. They are not simply alternative names for the scenes in Rider–Waite–Smith.
Court Cards and the Elemental Model
The Thoth court sequence is Knight, Queen, Prince and Princess, commonly described respectively as Fire, Water, Air and Earth of the suit. Prince of Swords is Air of Air; Princess of Cups is Earth of Water. A structural comparison of the courts is useful, but directly renaming the Thoth Prince a Rider–Waite King without further explanation would obscure the original system.
Adjustment, Lust, Art, Aeon and Universe
Thoth uses Adjustment VIII in place of Justice, Lust XI in place of Strength, Art XIV in place of Temperance, The Aeon XX in place of Judgment and The Universe XXI in place of The World. The replacements are significant interpretations of the cards rather than cosmetic changes. The Fool remains Atu 0, and Crowley’s revised Hebrew-letter correspondence for the Star and Emperor also differs from standard Golden Dawn presentations.
Comparison of Specific Cards in All Three Decks
| Equivalent rank | Marseille | Rider–Waite–Smith | Thoth |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Fool / Le Mat | An often unnumbered traveling figure with a small animal | A traveler near a precipice, rose and white dog | Atu 0 surrounded by complex vegetation, animal and Dionysian motifs |
| Five of Swords | Interlaced pip blades and decorative motifs | Narrative scene of conflict and a tense outcome | Defeat: an explicitly titled occult diagram |
| Temperance / Art | Angel or winged figure pouring between vessels | Winged figure transfers liquid between cups | Art: alchemical mixture and two-headed figure |
| Judgment / Aeon | Rising figures and trumpet-bearing angel in many versions | Angel and responding figures | The Aeon: Nuit, Hadit and Ra-Hoor-Khuit |
Which Tarot Deck Should You Learn First?
If you want immediately readable scenes and abundant English-language learning material, Rider–Waite–Smith is often practical for a first deck. If you enjoy historical European card imagery and the logic of numbered patterns, Marseille rewards careful comparison. If you have an interest in astrological decans, elemental dignities, Thelema or Hermetic Qabalah, Thoth offers a detailed symbolic framework but usually requires more reference study.
There is no obligation to begin with Rider–Waite–Smith or to own all three. Accessibility, card size, visual clarity, a useful guidebook and your willingness to study the system are better criteria than treating a deck as inherently more powerful.
Can You Read the Same Spread With All Three Systems?
Yes. A three-card spread with Situation–Challenge–Advice positions works with every deck. But the interpretation of each drawn card must come from that deck’s actual imagery and correspondences. Using a Rider–Waite illustrated meaning for Marseille Coins without noting the visual difference may be useful as a modern cross-system adaptation, but it should not be presented as historical Marseille iconography.
For practical methods see Tarot Spreads Explained, How to Read Marseille Pip Cards and How to Read Thoth Tarot Cards.
